Injuries not slowing down Cleveland Cavaliers, who face dinged-up Denver Nuggets
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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang steals the ball from Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DENVER – The Cleveland Cavaliers have steamrollered through the first third of their National Basketball Association (NBA) schedule, and now face one of their toughest stretches when they open a four-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Dec 27 (Dec 28, Singapore time).
The Western Conference swing is the longest road trip of the season for East-leading Cleveland, who have won five in a row.
The Cavaliers are coming off a close victory against the Utah Jazz without forwards Dean Wade (knee injury) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder).
Wade could be back after being listed as questionable, while Okoro is expected to miss a couple of weeks.
Without them against the Jazz on Dec 23, the Cavaliers employed a smaller line-up at times but got good production from forward Evan Mobley, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The third overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley is averaging a career-best 18.5 points and pulling down nine rebounds a game.
He has been a good compliment to guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, who have led the Cavaliers’ early success.
Mitchell (23.3 points) and Garland (20.4) lead the team in scoring average, and centre Jarrett Allen is averaging a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds), with Mobley adding another layer to a deep team.
“We’ve all said it, for us to be the team we want to be... Evan had to take that step,” Mitchell said recently. “And the best part about it is Jarrett Allen is his biggest cheerleader.”
The clash against the Nuggets is the last of the two games between the teams, and Denver are trying to get even after losing 126-114 on Dec 5 in Cleveland.
Denver star Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double in the loss, one of his NBA-leading 11 this season.
He has 141 triple-doubles in his career, which ranks third all-time, behind Nuggets teammate Russell Westbrook (200) and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (181).
The Nuggets, who have won five of their last seven games, will not have forward Aaron Gordon available against Cleveland after he left the 110-100 loss at the Phoenix Suns on Dec 25 with a right calf strain.
Gordon missed 10 games earlier this season with the same injury.
He is fifth in the team in scoring at 13.7 points a game and is their most versatile defender, with the ability to guard every position.
Peyton Watson, their leading shot blocker (0.9 per game), will likely get the start in his absence.
Jokic leads Denver in scoring (30.7 points), rebounding (12.6) and assists (9.4) and is putting together another Most Valuable Player-worthy campaign.
But the Nuggets will need support from Jamal Murray, who is second in scoring at 18.8 points a game, despite battling injuries.
Murray sat out the Dec 23 win over Phoenix with a sprained right ankle and had only 13 points on his return two days later. He is listed as probable against the Cavaliers.
“I’m just trying not to use (injuries) as an excuse. Not mention it,” he told The Denver Post.
“I know I get slack for it, but (I’m) just going out there, and if I’m good enough to play, I play. That’s how I look at it.” REUTERS
